The jury is out – video content is taking over. From the priority shift of Instagram from photo content to Reels to the incredible rise in popularity of the video-first platform TikTok, there’s no denying that the landscape of online content is shifting to video.
In fact, according to a 2023 Ofcom report, the average amount of time individuals spent watching videos in 2022 was 4 hours and 28 minutes. When it comes to video consumption online, people spend an average 25 minutes in social media watching videos.
Alongside that shift in the type of content comes a reprioritisation of marketers when it comes to social media. More and more, we’re seeing an emphasis on using “social video” to market products and boost business alongside taking advantage of other marketing channels like creating TV adverts. But what is “social video marketing”, and how can you utilise these creative video ideas for your own brand?
Let’s discuss everything you need to know about social video marketing and give you some solid video content ideas that you can use for your next marketing campaign.
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If video marketing on its own refers to the method of creating videos for marketing purposes, then social video marketing places an emphasis on social media video creation. When done right, social video marketing is a proven tactic to connect brands with not just their existing customers but also a great way to attract new ones.
When it comes to social video, we don’t mean developing a social media ad that happens to contain a video. A great social video marketing strategy doesn’t require you to spend a penny – except perhaps on producing the video itself. Social video marketing places a heavy emphasis on video content creation for the purposes of marketing your brand.
Nowadays, there are multiple social media platforms that businesses can utilise for their respective social video strategies. Short-form videos thrive on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, while YouTube remains the king of long-form videos.
On average, people spent around 16 hours a week simply watching video content online. According to Statista, YouTube is the most popular video-watching platform, with 77% of people opting for the website to watch content. Armed with that knowledge, about 60% of companies worldwide are jumping on the social video bandwagon – shouldn’t yours?
The state of media is becoming more focused on video content, whether it’s a funny Instagram Reel or a great TV advertisement. As we know, one of the best ways to create a successful marketing campaign is by utilising all the right tools available for your brand, and right now, social video is one such tool.
Source: Booqed
Now that you understand the importance of utilising social video marketing for your business, you might be wondering what kinds of videos you should be creating for your next campaign. But, we also know that coming up with creative video ideas can be really hard to do, so we’ve come up with a handy list of 10 ideas you can use to help you with your next social video marketing campaign:
Whether we believe it or not, people do like learning about things. Some of the best performing video content – be it long-form on YouTube or short-form on TikTok – are instructional videos. What we mean here by “instructional” isn’t hours-long video lectures. Instead, it relates to anything that provides instructions, such as cooking or anything DIY-related.
These types of videos are incredibly popular, so much so that there are whole channels dedicated to this craft. Some people, like Jordan Watson, AKA “How to DAD” on YouTube, do exactly this. The highly popular Kiwi YouTuber started off by uploading a semi-parodic “How to Hold a Baby” video for his friend, who was to be a new father. His video caught on, and that has become his “brand” – one that companies like Hello Fresh have been more than happy to engage with.
If you’re a company that loves making things, whether it’s CGI television ads or cars, there will always be people who are interested in seeing the “behind the scenes” of how things are made. To add to our previous point, people love to learn about things and tend to be rather curious. So, giving them the opportunity to learn about what goes into the making of their favourite products is another great idea for your video strategy.
Now, whether you want to create a highly in-depth video about how things are done or do what we here at Fall Off The Wall did with our Oddschecker breakdown video is entirely up to you. The most important thing to pay attention to is where you’re publishing that video. It won’t make sense to upload a 10-minute in-depth video about how you created a website on X, for example.
One of the best creative video ideas is making a promo video. In this day and age, people don’t want to see the same trope being used over and over again in order to promote something. So, here is where getting creative with your marketing content is absolutely key.
The best part of a promo video is that they aren’t restricted to the promotion of products or brands. If you have a public awareness campaign to promote, that’s worthy of a promo video, too! Just look at the highly successful PSA campaign by Melbourne’s Metro Trains. The highly viral “Dumb Ways to Die” video featured a catchy jingle that is still stuck in people’s heads today – nearly 10 years after its original release!
If you have a product but are running out of ways to promote it, here’s a creative video idea that you can take advantage of. Although “tips and tricks” videos aren’t necessarily product-centric, as in they don’t focus entirely on product features, they still allow you to create content revolving around your products. If you have some ideas for how-to videos that could be helpful for your customers, then make one!
People love shortcuts and “life hacks”, and giving them the opportunity to learn how to make using your product a much more simple experience is a great way to earn customer loyalty. The “tips and tricks” type of video can be used across social media platforms, so take full advantage of this video marketing idea to boost your business.
Your company has just introduced an exciting new product or added interesting new functionality to a previously released one. You’ve put out the word via press releases, a website update, a blog post, and maybe even a live event – like what Apple does almost every quarter. What else can you do, really? Well, there’s one more thing: Why not make a short movie explaining how the new product or feature functions?
Launching an entirely new product means you can make videos for each of its features, giving you plenty of material for your content marketing calendar. These types of videos are also rather easy to create to fit each social media platform’s preferred format, so they can be easily seen by your existing customers or even shared with potential new ones!
There’s nothing better for a brand’s business and reputation than hearing a positive experience or review from its customers. People trust the thoughts and opinions of their peers more so than the hearsay of the company. That’s why the customer testimonial is still one of the most popular types of TV ads out there today and something you can take advantage of for your next social video campaign.
Customer testimonials can be a great long-term video strategy since (hopefully) your brand will always have happy customers who would be more than willing to share their positive experiences with others. Plus, these types of creative marketing videos can be used across social media platforms, giving you continuous social video content.
With the advent of livestreaming across social media platforms, so much so that there’s even a dedicated platform for livestreaming called Twitch, one of the best video content ideas for this type of content is the “Expert Q&A”. Question and answer (Q&A) or frequently asked questions (FAQ) videos can help address real customer issues and provide them with the solutions that they’ve been looking for. It shows that your company is willing to listen to your customers and respond to their needs.
Better yet, turn it into an opportunity to interact and connect with your customers on a more personal level by hosting a livestream Q&A. Whether on Twitch, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, livestreams are a great way to boost your business through social video by encouraging your customers to actually be social!
In a surprising turn of events, companies are not allowed to be impersonal or cold. Brand trust and customer loyalty have been shown to increase when businesses show the people behind the name. “Meet the team” videos don’t have to be 5-minute videos featuring every single member of staff discussing their likes and dislikes; they could instead be short Instagram Stories or Reels that simply acknowledge their existence as they go about their day in the office.
These video content ideas aren’t limited to showing off your company’s social media or marketing teams either. Highlighting the everyday people who keep the business running, from product managers to junior developers, will boost your business by creating a connection between your company and its customers.
A value proposition tells prospective customers why they should choose your products or services over that of your competitors. These types of videos are great for social video marketing, especially to more easily introduce your company and the types of products you produce. Compared to the aforementioned “feature demo” video idea, a value prop focuses on the benefits that customers can expect to enjoy by using your product rather than showing them how your products work.
The best thing about creating a value prop for your next video marketing campaign is that you can tailor it to the audiences of the respective social media platforms. For example, you can create a more serious value prop video for LinkedIn and publish a more fun one for TikTok or Instagram. Focus on what makes your company special, and you’ll find this to be an effective way to boost your business.
Throughout the lifespan of social media, there’s nothing been more curious than the extreme popularity of the “unboxing video”. There seems to be something very satisfying about these videos, whether it’s unboxing the latest Samsung phone or just opening a Kinder Egg. According to Google Consumer Surveys, one in five people viewed an unboxing video in 2014. That number has grown exponentially since then.
Although there are entire YouTube channels dedicated to the art of unboxing, companies have jumped on this trend, too, and they’ve helped spread this bandwagon over to other social media platforms. If you’ve got a product, especially one that arrives in a box when consumers order it, consider utilising this video content idea for your next social video marketing campaign. They’re also another great way to connect with your brand’s customers by facilitating the enjoyment of the unboxing moment together with another person – whether it’s your own employee or an influencer.
Source: Later
Hopefully, we’ve helped you get your creative juices flowing with the 10 video content ideas, and you’re ready to plan your next social video marketing campaign. But before you pick up your phone or camera and start filming, you should first be aware of some social video best practices. These tips will help you make the best out of your social video campaign so that you can enjoy the best results and boost your business.
Ready? Let’s take a look at the five best practices when tackling social video:
As with any marketing campaign strategy, you need a set of goals to aspire to. The same goes for social video marketing! Gather your social media and marketing team to discuss what the goals are for the next social video campaign so that everyone is on the same page on what to strive for.
Possibly the most important aspect of any brand’s marketing strategy is to understand its target market. Understanding your audience will help you decide which social media platform to utilise for your social video strategy. The demographics of each social media platform differ from platform to platform. For example, TikTok users are, on average, younger than those on Instagram.
Humans and storytelling go hand in hand. It’s how we tell our histories to others, whether it’s your grandparents reminiscing about the “good old days” or someone telling their best friend about a funny situation at work. This is why it might be fair to say that nothing hits a person better than a good story. It’s probably why some of the best TV advertising examples still weave them into everyday TV ads, and it’s why a great social video strategy makes use of some form of storytelling.
Although some might say that “content is king” on social media, it’s actually consistency that reigns supreme. This is why you should plan your content production and create a content schedule in advance so that your social video strategy will appease the respective social media algorithms before it can be enjoyed by all your customers. Plus, scheduling content in advance, especially livestreams, will give you ample time to promote it and create excitement for its release. Best of all, a well-thought-out video content production plan can save you lots of time and money, which is always a great benefit!
Although you might want to focus purely on social video, the best marketing strategies utilise more than one marketing avenue. Some companies, like Old Spice, have made use of multiple platforms to create extremely successful marketing campaigns. Considering that the weekly reach of TV in the UK is still around 80% and that three-quarters of the population have their phone nearby while watching the telly, this is why effective social video campaigns tend to be combined with traditional TV advertising.
While social video is here to stay, creating an effective video marketing strategy to boost your business is no easy feat. Producing content that’s enticing yet engaging is key to a successful social video marketing campaign, but also making use of the various other marketing avenues out there can ensure that your campaign is as successful as it can be.
Hopefully, we’ve been able to help you come up with some great ideas for your next social video campaign and taught you something new about the best practices for video marketing.
Keen on seeing what social video marketing can bring to your brand? Get in touch with an experienced advertising agency who can help you get the job done!